Breathe In So Deep
by myeveryday
Summary: Rachel Berry saw Finn Hudson twice a week, and he was a complete mystery to her. Finchel AU
1. these hearts they race

**Someone requested a soldier!Finn story a long time ago (seriously, it must have been like over six months ago), and I've only just now come up with an idea for it. Soldier!Finn is always one of my favorites, so I couldn't resist. Thanks for checking this out! :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This story title comes from the song "Hands Down" by Dashboard Confessional.**

* * *

**one.**

She always saw him at the coffee shop.

He was so, so tall and had thick, messy hair. His height was what first had attracted her attention, but then she noticed the light sprinkling of freckles across his nose and his amber colored eyes.

He always ordered the same kind of coffee: the large dark roast. His voice was quiet and deep, his hands large and sure as they circled the coffee cup. He would sit in the corner of the coffee shop in one of the armchairs, sipping slowly at his coffee until it was gone. And then he would leave.

They went through this two times each week, and it was Rachel Berry's favorite part of the week. She had been working at the small coffee shop for the past two years, and hardly anything interesting had happened. Sure, they had their regulars, but no one had ever intrigued her as much as this man.

It was Thursday afternoon, just about the time that she should be seeing him. Rachel was a little late for her shift since she had an exam in one of her classes, and she rushed to tie her apron around her waist as she made her way out onto the floor. He was just entering the coffee shop as she reached the register, and Rachel made sure to give him a bright smile as she approached.

"Hello!" she greeted cheerfully. "What can I get for you today?" They were almost at the point where she could ask if he wanted his usual, but Rachel didn't want to say that just yet. She wanted to at least know his name first.

His lips tilted up at the corners; Rachel wasn't even sure that she could call it a smile. "A large of the dark roast, please," he said softly.

Rachel quickly got the coffee cup and filled it to the top. She snapped a lid on to it and then slid a sleeve around the hot cup and passed it over to the man. For the first time in the three weeks or so since he had been coming to the coffee shop, their fingers brushed.

Rachel was immediately aware of the tingles that ran up and down her arm. Her eyes widened, but she forced herself to tell him the total of the drink. When she handed him his change, their fingers brushed again, and Rachel knew that she hadn't imagined it. His brief touch made her feel something she had never experienced before.

Rachel was further intrigued when she looked into those amber eyes and saw nothing but a quiet sadness.

* * *

**two.**

The following Tuesday, he came into the coffee shop right on time. Rachel debated having his coffee ready for him, but she didn't want to seem too forward. Instead, she went through the usual motions as she contemplated some way to start a conversation with him.

Today, he was wearing a pair of jeans and a plaid shirt with a baseball hat covering his head of messy hair. Rachel was so distracted by his attractiveness that she hadn't realized she had over filled the coffee cup until the hot liquid was suddenly pouring out onto her hand.

"Ow!" Rachel dropped the cup and shook her hand out, embarrassed at having been so clumsy. In her years working at the coffee shop, she had never been so careless.

"You should run that under cold water."

Rachel looked up to find the man watching her, his amber eyes now showing concern. Too stunned that he had talked to her to say anything else, Rachel turned to the nearby sink and turned on the cold water. The burn was instantly soothed, and she allowed it to go for a few moments before she went back to the counter and finished getting his coffee.

But he ignored it as Rachel set it in front of him. "Can I take a look at it?" he asked. When Rachel tilted her head, he clarified, "Your hand, I mean."

"Oh. Uh… sure." Rachel held out her hand and he took it, running calloused fingers over the red, irritated skin. A little furrow appeared in his brow as he inspected her hand, but Rachel was more focused on the way his fingers felt on her skin.

"It doesn't look that bad," he declared after a moment. He released her hand as he nodded once, his face still generally impassive.

Still, Rachel smiled at him. "Thank you…" She trailed off, hoping that he would offer up his name.

He did. "Finn," he said. "My name is Finn."

Rachel's smile widened, and he blinked in surprise—it was like he couldn't believe how bright it was. "Thank you, Finn."

* * *

**three.**

When Finn came in that Thursday, he was the first to speak.

"How's your hand?" he asked in his quiet voice before Rachel had the chance to greet him.

Rachel was so surprised that he had been the first to initiate conversation that she paused. "It's fine, thank you," she said. "It was probably due to your quick thinking, you know."

Finn shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged his shoulders. "I know some basic stuff," he said, referring to medical knowledge. Rachel nodded her head and they sat in a surprisingly comfortable silence for a moment before she reached for a large coffee cup.

"Would you like your usual?" she asked.

For the first time, Finn cracked a small, barely there smile. The corner of his mouth lifted it up, and the adorableness of the action made Rachel's heart skip a beat. She had never felt an attraction like this before—it was instant and deep, much more than just physical. Rachel wanted to get to know this man.

"I guess I do have a usual," he said.

Rachel filled his coffee cup and set it in front of him. "That's not a bad thing, you know."

Finn nodded his head and dug around in his pocket for the money. When Rachel handed him his change, she said, "Have a nice day, Finn."

"Thanks, Rachel. You too," he said. He must have read her nametag, but Rachel still blushed when he said her name. All she could do was smile like a dope at him as he picked up his coffee. The corner of his mouth tilted up slightly in that half smile again.

Rachel wanted to have more of a conversation with him, but there was something in his eyes that led her to believe he had a pretty haunted past. She didn't want to press him or scare him away with her crush. So for now, Rachel was content with getting Finn his coffee.

* * *

**four.**

The next time Finn came in, a man with perfectly coiffed hair followed him.

Finn had a plainly exasperated look on his face as he did his best to ignore the man following him and walked right towards the counter. Rachel pressed a hand to her mouth in an attempt to stifle her giggle, but Finn saw her. His expression lightened a little bit when he noticed her laughing.

"You don't have an extra-large coffee, do you? I definitely need it," Finn said.

The man behind Finn let out a dramatic gasp. "I heard that, Finn Hudson!"

Finn ignored him and this time Rachel didn't bother to hide her giggle. "I'm sorry, Finn," she said as she got his usual cup and filled it up with freshly brewed dark roast. "But this is the largest size we have." She handed it to him and their fingers brushed once again. Rachel could feel her cheeks begin to heat up, and she ducked down in order to hide it.

The other man stepped forward. "Well, if you think that dealing with you is any easier, Finn, you're wrong." Turning his attention towards Rachel, he asked, "Can I have a French vanilla cappuccino with extra foam? And an extra shot of espresso, since I have to deal with this one."

Finn rolled his eyes. "I hope you don't think I'm paying for your coffee," he said instead of acknowledging the other man's insult.

"Relax, Finn," he said as he pulled out his wallet and retrieved a credit card.

Finn sighed and took a long sip from his coffee before he said, "Rachel, this is my brother, Kurt. Kurt, this is Rachel."

"The barista?" Kurt suddenly looked very interested. "So _you're_ the barista."

Finn's pale cheeks suddenly turned a light shade of red, and he rubbed the back of his neck. Rachel tried not to overthink Kurt's statement and Finn's reaction to it. But then Finn looked up and caught her eye, his lips lifting up into a smile. Rachel smiled at him in return before Kurt interrupted.

"Rachel, may I ask you a question?" Kurt inquired.

Rachel looked towards Finn, who was shaking his head in exasperation. Unsure, Rachel said, "Uh… sure?"

Undeterred by Rachel's hesitant response, Kurt continued, "I'm trying to get Finn to meet my boyfriend. As my older brother, Finn should meet my boyfriend, right?"

Rachel took a moment to seriously consider Kurt's question. "I suppose so," she finally said. "If you've been dating him long enough, he should meet the rest of your family."

"Ha!" Kurt exclaimed in victory. "I've been dating Blaine for a long time now, Finn. You just haven't been around to meet him. It's time to change that."

At the vague mention of Finn's absence, he tensed. As soon as the words left Kurt's mouth, he looked immediately apologetic. With a nod in Rachel's direction, Finn picked up his coffee cup and went to his usual seat in the corner. Kurt watched his older brother for a moment before he sighed and turned back towards Rachel.

"I'm sorry about that," Kurt apologized. "He's been getting better, but you know…"

Rachel nodded her head as if she knew what Kurt was talking about. But all she knew was that she would do just about anything to keep that sadness from Finn's eyes.

It amazed Rachel that she wanted to do so much for someone who wasn't really much more than an acquaintance. But every time she looked at Finn, she knew that he was different. He was special, even if he didn't realize it.

* * *

**five.**

It was a Monday when Rachel saw Kurt once again. Thankfully, the coffee shop wasn't that busy, so Rachel had some time to talk as she wiped down the counters. She gave the man a welcoming smile as he approached the counter.

"Hello, Kurt," she greeted. "What can I get for you?"

"Just a cappuccino with skim milk," Kurt said as he returned Rachel's smile. "And I was wondering if I could talk to you, actually."

Rachel went about making sure that the milk was steaming properly before she turned back towards Kurt. "Of course," she said. Maybe she would be able to learn more about Finn. Rachel didn't want to be so obviously curious about Finn, but she couldn't help herself.

Kurt sighed before he took a seat on one of the stools by the counter. "I'm sure that you've realized by now that Finn has some… issues."

Rachel's heart ached with the knowledge that her suspicions had been right; something had happened to Finn. She bit her lip before she said, "I didn't know that there were issues, but I can see that he's so sad."

Kurt smiled for real then; he seemed to be planning something, and Rachel wasn't sure what he was getting at. But before she could ask, Kurt said, "How much do you know about Finn?"

Rachel queued the espresso and waited as it filled Kurt's cup and then poured the steamed milk and foam into it. She lifted it to make sure that it was light enough before she put a lid on the cup and passed it over to Kurt.

"I know that Finn really seems to appreciate a good cup of coffee," Rachel said in response to Kurt's question. "And he's really sweet." Rachel's cheeks pinked when she realized how she said that, but it only made Kurt's smile widened. "But I don't know much beyond that."

Kurt nodded his head. "Well, there's something that you should know," he said. "Finn recently finished up his last tour in Afghanistan."

Rachel was beginning to understand what made Finn so sad, but she didn't want to make assumptions. "So he was in the army, then?"

"He was," Kurt affirmed. "He joined up when he was just out of high school. It was kind of a surprise to everyone, since he was this amazing football player."

"Really?" Rachel could see Finn being the captain of the football team. He just seemed like the kind of person who would be a wonderful leader, so it didn't surprise Rachel at all.

Kurt nodded his head and took a sip of his drink. "He could have had a scholarship to any number of schools, but he turned them all down and joined up instead. Nearly gave his poor mother a heart attack when he told her that he was being shipped out. I don't think I've ever seen Carole cry so hard." At Rachel's questioning look, Kurt continued, "That's how Finn's father died. He was in the army."

Rachel's heart broke even further for Finn. She could imagine that most people wouldn't even want to leave their house after going through all of that, but it was a testament to Finn's character that he was still interacting with people daily.

"Look, I'm not going to tell you exactly what's happened with Finn or why he's here twice a week. That's his story to tell you. But I just wanted to let you know that since Finn has been seeing you, things have been… better."

Rachel had no idea what to say to that. She could only blink in response as she tried to absorb what Kurt said. She made Finn's day better? She liked the thought that with their short interactions over the past few weeks, she had somehow made Finn feel just a little happier.

Kurt smiled as he watched Rachel think over what he said. "Finn has talked about you a few times," Kurt revealed.

"He has?" The words burst from Rachel's mouth before she could stop herself, and she tried to control the flutter in her heart. She didn't want to read too much into Kurt's statement, but she couldn't stop herself from feeling excited.

Kurt grabbed his coffee cup and stood up. He knew that if he stayed here any longer, Finn would probably kill him. In fact, he was probably already in for a beating because he had showed up to talk to Rachel, anyway. Finn always hated it when Kurt meddled.

"Thanks for listening, Rachel. And if you could not tell Finn that I was here, that would be great," Kurt said.

Rachel laughed. "I'll do my best," she promised.

* * *

**six.**

"Wait." Rachel's roommate, Tina Cohen-Chang, waved her hand in front of Rachel's face in order to get her attention. "Hot coffee boy's brother showed up at the shop to talk to you?"

"His name is Finn," Rachel said immediately. Before she had known Finn's name, she had designated him with the title "hot coffee boy." But Rachel wanted to be the only one to call him that.

Tina waved her hand. "Whatever, Finn. His brother came to talk to you?"

Rachel nodded her head before she turned off the stove. She spooned some of the pasta dish she had made into a bowl and then took a seat at the counter. "I guess I'll find out if Finn knows when I see him tomorrow." Rachel looked around the apartment and noticed that the third bedroom door was closed. "Where is Santana, by the way?"

Tina shrugged her shoulders. "I sent her out to get us a bottle of wine. And stop trying to change the subject, by the way. Tell me more about this talk with Finn's brother!"

Before Rachel could reveal more of her surprising encounter today, the door to their apartment opened and her other roommate, Santana Lopez, walked in. She violently hung her keys on the hook next to the door and took her jacket off, throwing it on the ground.

"I hate people," she declared. "Okay?" Santana set the bottle of wine on the counter and pointed at it. "Everyone at that store knows that that's our favorite bottle of wine. It was the last one, so they saved it for us, right? Well some bitch tried to steal it right out from under my nose!"

Rachel and Tina exchanged a look and tried to stifle their laughter. While each of them certainly had a flair for the dramatics, Santana was the most violent of the three of them. The Latina noticed her friends laughing, and she glared at them and snatched the bottle up once again.

"If the two of you are going to be assholes, you don't get any wine. I had to fight that bitch off for this."

Tina retrieved three wine glasses from the cabinet. "Oh, we know you did, Santana," she said. "Now stop bitching and pop it open. Rachel was just about to tell me what hot coffee boy's brother said when he visited her at work today."

Santana handed the bottle of wine over to Tina and sat next to Rachel at the counter. "Hot coffee boy's brother visited today?" she asked with interest. Rachel had been talking about this guy since he had first showed up at the store. Any development at all was exciting.

Rachel scowled at her friends. "His name is Finn," she repeated.

Santana rolled her eyes. "Relax, Berry. We know that he's your hot coffee boy. Tina has a boyfriend and I'm currently after that hot blonde yoga instructor, anyway."

"Still," Rachel said.

Tina popped the cork on the wine bottle and poured all three of them glasses. Passing them out, she said, "Will you just tell us what Finn's brother said already?"

Rachel couldn't help the smile that spread across her lips. "Kurt said that I make Finn's day better," she revealed.

"Get it Berry!" Santana called with a hoot.

Tina clapped her hands, happy for her friend. "Awww, that's so cute! He's totally going to ask you out."

Rachel really didn't want to get her hopes up (even though it wasn't really working). "I doubt it," she said. "From what Kurt said, I think that Finn has a lot of things to figure out in his life right now. I wouldn't want to get in the way of that."

Santana snorted a took a long sip of her wine. "Who knows, Berry? You could be that ray of sunshine he's been looking for."

Rachel swatted at Santana. "Stop that! This is serious, Santana."

Tina smirked knowingly. "Well, it seems as if you really want to get to know Finn. I wouldn't shut it down just yet, Rachel. Especially after what his brother said."

"Oh, I'm not shutting it down," Rachel said immediately. A slow smile spread across her lips. "I still have hope."

* * *

**seven.**

It was an unusually slow day in the coffee shop on that Tuesday, so Rachel was able to see Finn the moment he walked in. He went to the counter immediately, and Rachel offered a bright, "Hello, Finn!" as soon as he was near enough.

Finn's lips quirked up, as if he wanted to smile at her greeting. But instead of returning it, he said, "I know he was here."

Rachel immediately knew what Finn was talking about. Remembering her promise to Kurt, however, Rachel tried to play dumb. "Who was here?" she asked with her eyes widened in innocence.

Finn's eyes cut towards Rachel pointedly; he totally wasn't buying her act. "My brother," he said dryly. "I know he was here. What did he tell you?"

Rachel dropped the act, but she didn't want to divulge the full nature of her and Kurt's conversation. She shrugged her shoulders. "We just talked for a little bit, that's all."

"Okay, sure." Finn didn't sound at all convinced as he gave her a skeptical look. But Rachel couldn't help but smile at him, and it wasn't long before Finn returned her smile with an upturned corner of his mouth.

Taking pity on how uncomfortable he was about the whole situation, Rachel said, "Look, he didn't tell me too much. You don't have anything to worry about."

"Thanks, Rach," Finn said quietly. The nickname slipped easily off his tongue, and for some reason, it made Rachel's cheeks flush. "I appreciate it."

Rachel smiled at him once again as she went about getting Finn's regular cup of coffee. She knew that Finn wasn't likely to open up about his past—and she doubted that he would ever really open up to her. Rachel was just the barista that he happened to see over the past few weeks. Rachel felt a connection there, but she didn't know if Finn felt the same.

Rachel passed the cup of coffee to Finn, and their fingers brushed with the exchange. Finn's eyes connected with hers and the cup paused between their hands.

After a long moment passed, both Finn and Rachel seemed to realize that they were basically holding hands over a coffee counter. Rachel could feel her cheeks begin to turn red and she brushed her hair behind her ear to distract herself.

To Rachel's further surprise, Finn took a seat at the counter instead of at his usual spot in the corner. Rachel picked up a rag and began to wipe the counter down, trying to give herself something to do instead of staring longingly at Finn like she wanted to. For some reason, the coffee shop really was almost empty, so Rachel didn't really have anything to do. She really hoped that she didn't say something embarrassing to him.

Finn took a long sip of his coffee, and Rachel watched him and tried not to make it too obvious. He really seemed to enjoy the coffee, taking his time sipping it as if he might not have it again. Rachel hadn't realized that Finn was watching her watch him until one side of his mouth lifted up in a smile.

"I didn't have a lot of good coffee while I was deployed," Finn said by way of explanation. "So when I get it now, I really enjoy it." When Finn saw Rachel's look of surprise, he let out a chuckle. "I'm figuring that Kurt told you I was in the army."

Rachel smiled warmly at Finn. She wanted to reach across the counter for Finn's hand, but she forced herself to keep still. She didn't want to overstep her boundaries. "That's really amazing, Finn." She didn't tell him everything Kurt told her, because it was up to Finn what he wanted to share.

Finn took another sip of his coffee and shrugged his shoulders. Rachel could understand Finn's reluctance to share his issues in some random coffee shop. From the sound of it, it seemed like Finn was getting the help he needed.

Several moments of comfortable silence passed before Finn looked up, his amber eyes flashing with amusement. "So… What did Kurt tell you?" he prodded again.

Rachel's cheeks began to heat up at the thought of what Kurt said. She wanted to think that she made Finn's day better because when she saw him, her day was better as well. She looked forward to the Tuesdays and Thursdays when Finn would come into the coffee shop—and she was especially eager for them now since she and Finn seemed to be talking so much more.

"Honestly, he didn't really tell me much other than you had a football scholarship in high school and you turned it down to go into the army based on family reasons." Rachel fiddled with the tie on her apron and shrugged her shoulders again. "I promise he didn't go too much in depth."

"I'm not mad at him," Finn quickly reassured. "It's just that Kurt likes to meddle."

Rachel laughed. "I know how that is. My friends never keep their noses out of my business."

Finn let out a small chuckle and then started to tell Rachel a story about something Kurt did in high school. Almost completely forgetting that she was at work, Rachel leaned against the counter and listened to Finn's story, completely enthralled.

She hadn't seen him this animated… well… ever. And the sparkle in his amber eyes and the slight smile on his lips was something that Rachel wanted to see a lot more of.

* * *

**eight.**

Later that night, after her shift, Rachel was browsing the shelves of one of her favorite bookstores. Finding several books that looked interesting, Rachel purchased them and headed back out onto the busy street. She had a long night ahead of her with the amount of studying and homework she had to complete.

Rachel hadn't even gone a block before she noticed a familiar figure leaning against the wall of a building. It was Finn; his shoulders were slumped and his large hands were covering his face.

Rachel immediately felt concern flood through her. Without a second thought, Rachel walked towards Finn. Not wanting to startle him, she quietly called his name to garner his attention.

"Finn?"

Finn's head snapped up at the sound of Rachel's voice. His eyes were rimmed with red and they were puffy, and Rachel felt her heart break for him. He swallowed hard and stood up straight, trying his best to give her a small smile. Rachel bit her lip as she watched him, wanting nothing more than to pull him into her arms and hug him.

"Hey, Rach," he said in his quiet, steady voice.

But Rachel didn't want to make nonchalant small talk. Stepping closer to Finn, Rachel reached out and placed a gentle hand on his arm. Finn's eyes widened slightly as he looked at Rachel, down at her small hand against his pale skin, and then back up at her.

"Are you alright?" Rachel asked softly.

Finn opened his mouth, as if he was going to say that he was perfectly fine. But he seemed to think twice, as his mouth suddenly closed and he ended up shrugging his shoulders. Rachel's fingers gently stroked against his skin without her realizing it.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Finn offered her another small smile, and this one seemed more genuine. "Not really. Thanks, though."

Rachel gave him a reassuring smile to let him know that she wasn't trying to pressure him. "I know that I'm just some girl you met at a coffee shop," she began. "But if you ever just need someone to lend an ear, I'm here."

This time, Finn actually smiled. It was the first true one Rachel had ever seen from him, and it made her heart stop. The sweet, endearing half smile on Finn's face fit him so well, and Rachel wanted to see it more. To Rachel's further surprise, Finn actually reached out and pulled her into his arms.

Rachel sank into Finn's embrace, sliding her arms around his neck. She had to stretch up on her tiptoes in order to accommodate Finn's height, but they made it work. Finn buried his face in Rachel's neck, holding her to him almost delicately.

"I know, Rach," he murmured in his deep, gentle voice. "Thank you."

Perhaps Finn was just searching for comfort, but Rachel took quite a bit of enjoyment from the embrace. She liked the way his large, strong body covered hers, and she liked even more the way his arms wrapped around her. Rachel focused on the feeling of Finn's large hand spreading across his back and the sound of his heart thumping steadily under her ear.

She didn't know how long they stood there like that, but it didn't seem to really matter. Rachel closed her eyes and she could have sworn that Finn's arms tightened around her even more. She couldn't begin to explain the intense connection she had with Finn Hudson, but she certainly wasn't going to question it.

"Hudson! Are you going to get back in here or what?"

Rachel pulled back from Finn a little to see an older blonde woman standing in the doorway of the building they were next to. Finn cleared his throat and tightened his arms around Rachel once again, holding him to her for a moment before he let go completely.

"Sue," Finn acknowledged. "Yeah, I'll be right in."

Sue looked at Finn and then at Rachel. With knowing eyes, she nodded her head and said, "You can have a few more minutes." She went back into the building then, and Finn's cheeks turned pink as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"That's Sue Sylvester," Finn told Rachel. "She's the head of the therapy group I go to."

Rachel reached forward and squeezed Finn's hand. "I guess I should let you go, then."

Rachel moved to walk away, but Finn held fast to her hand. His calloused fingers stroked across the back of her hand, and he gave her that adorable half smile again.

"You're not just some barista," Finn said quietly.

Rachel squeezed Finn's hand again and couldn't stop the beaming smile that formed on her lips.

* * *

**nine.**

Rachel wiped her sweaty hair away from her face and pulled her jacket tighter around her body. She was so thankful that her dance rehearsal was finally over. Now she could finally start with the weekend and pretend like she didn't have any work due on the following Monday. She just wanted to have a fun time with her friends and not worry about how she had to work on Sunday afternoon.

"Rachel! Hey, Rachel!"

Rachel turned to find Kurt waving at her. To her surprise, she saw one of her classmates, Blaine Anderson, holding his hand. She smiled and accepted Kurt's hug when he reached her.

"Rachel, how are you?" Kurt greeted.

"I'm so glad it's the weekend," Rachel said honestly.

Blaine nodded his head empathetically. "Rehearsals were rough," he said.

Kurt looked between the man next to him and Rachel. "You two know each other?"

"We're in some classes together," Rachel confirmed.

Kurt clapped his hands together excitedly. "Well, that's it then! I was already going to invite you to dinner before, but you definitely have to come with us now."

Rachel blinked in surprise at Kurt's rapid-fire speech. "Um… what?"

"We're having dinner with Finn and our parents tonight," Kurt explained. "You have to come with us!"

"Oh Kurt, I don't know," Rachel said. "I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Please, you wouldn't be intruding. Besides, my stepmother really wants to meet you. Finn mentioned you to her a few times."

"He has?" Rachel asked, even more surprised than before. This time, she didn't even bother to ignore the little thrill of excitement that ran through her. She figured that it was pretty much time to stop denying her massive crush on Finn.

"He has," Blaine told Rachel. "Carole hasn't stopped talking about meeting you since Finn first let your name slip."

Rachel bit her lip and bounced slightly on the balls of her feet, trying to decide what to do. Of course, she wanted the chance to see Finn again, but she didn't want to press him. They had seen each other briefly on Thursday when Finn came in for his usual coffee, but they hadn't had a chance to talk since Rachel had been so busy with other customers. This would have been the first time that they would be spending a prolonged amount of time with one another since Rachel had found him outside of that building.

"Finn will be happy to see you," Kurt added, knowing that all Rachel needed was a little bit of encouragement. Truthfully, he just wanted to make sure that his big brother was happy. This girl he met at the coffee shop seemed to be what was going to do it.

Rachel thought for another moment before she finally nodded her head. "If you're really sure, I'd be more than happy to go. But I don't have anything to change into." Rachel couldn't believe that she was going to show up at Finn's parents' house in sweaty and in her practice clothes.

Kurt took a moment to study Rachel's appearance. "Hmm, your workout ensemble is cute, but it's hardly suitable for dinner. There has to be something you can change into—"

"Kurt, relax. Rachel looks fine. This is just a casual get together." Blaine rolled his eyes at his boyfriend's antics and gestured for Rachel to follow him.

Hitching her bag higher on her shoulder, Rachel followed Blaine and Kurt to the waiting taxi cab. A smile began to form on her lips at the thought of getting a chance to spend time with Finn outside of the coffee shop, and she couldn't deny the excitement that began to course through her.

* * *

**ten.**

As soon as Carole Hudson-Hummel saw Rachel, her face lit up. "Oh, you must be Rachel! It's so nice to meet you, dear." Instead of shaking Rachel's hand, she pulled her into a hug. Finn was standing behind her and looked kind of embarrassed by the whole display. He rubbed the back of his neck and gave Rachel a sheepish look, and she thought it was the sweetest thing.

"I'm sorry that I didn't come prepared," Rachel said once Carole had released her. "Normally I'd bake something and I wouldn't show up in sweaty workout clothes."

Carole was obviously utterly thrilled that Rachel was attending their family dinner. She could have shown up in a brown sack and Carole wouldn't have cared. "It's no problem at all. And we have more than enough food as it is, I promise. Say hello to Finn and then I want you to take a seat and you can relax for the rest of the night."

Carole hurried back into the kitchen, leaving Finn and Rachel standing in the living room. She moved closer to him, nervously tucking her bangs behind her ear. Finn gave her a small, reassuring smile in response.

Finn was the first to speak. "I'm sorry about that. My mom can be a little bit overbearing sometimes."

"Your mom is sweet," Rachel said as she shook her head.

"She means well," Finn said. Even though Finn was still a little bit embarrassed, Rachel could tell that he was very close to her mother and cared for her a lot. It only endeared Finn to Rachel even more. "By the way, Blaine told me what happened. I hope they didn't… you know… make you feel like you had to come."

Rachel quickly shook her head to reassure Finn and reached out to put a hand on his arm. "No, it wasn't like that at all. I wanted to come."

Finn smiled at her and then reached forward and took her hand, leading her out onto the back patio. When he realized that he was holding her hand, he went to drop it, his cheeks turning red in embarrassment. But Rachel stopped him but squeezing his hand and giving him a sweet smile.

Blaine and Kurt were already sitting at the table and gave Rachel a knowing look when they saw how Finn interacted with her. Their reaction was fueled even more when Finn pulled out Rachel's chair for her. Finn's stepfather, Burt Hummel, was sitting at the table as well.

Carole came bustling out of the kitchen with plates full of food, and Finn immediately jumped up to help his mother. Burt stood as well and then teasingly chastised Kurt for not doing the same. That led to Blaine joining in on the teasing, and then Kurt tried to redirect it all towards Finn when he returned.

That's how most of the dinner went. In between the questions that the Hudson-Hummel family asked Rachel, they would constantly tease each other and tell silly stories. Rachel had a wonderful time getting to know them, and she really enjoyed how she got to find out more about Finn. He didn't seem to mind either, and he often joined in on the storytelling.

Towards the end of dinner, Rachel stretched a little in her seat, and her foot nudged against someone else's under the table. Surprised, Rachel pulled her foot back and looked to see whose she had accidently bumped so she could apologize. Blaine, Kurt, Carole, and Burt were all busy talking, but Finn's eyes caught hers.

Rachel bit her lip in embarrassment. Of course it was Finn's foot she had bumped under the table. When Rachel made to pull back, Finn's foot nudged hers again. His amber eyes were twinkling with mischief, and he did it again to be sure that Rachel knew he was doing it on purpose.

They sat like that for the remainder of dinner.

* * *

**eleven.**

Rachel accepted the last wet dish from Finn and dried it before she set it aside. Kurt had been given the task to clear the table and Finn had to wash the dishes. Feeling like she should help in some capacity, Rachel offered to at least dry the dishes that Finn was washing.

Rachel leaned against the counter and watched Finn empty the sink of the soapy water. He stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Rachel with that half smile playing on his lips.

"What?" Finn asked.

Rachel could feel her cheeks beginning to heat up at having been caught staring. She couldn't help herself, though. Finn made such a mundane task look exciting. "Nothing," she said quickly. "This night was just very nice."

Finn nodded his head and crossed his arms over his chest. Rachel tried not to stare too hard at the way his muscles tensed in his arms. "I'm sorry Kurt kind of harassed you into coming. He can be a little overbearing sometimes."

"He didn't harass me," Rachel was quick to assure.

That smile quirked Finn's lips again, and Rachel's heart skipped a beat. "I'm glad you came," he said quietly.

"You are?" The question slipped out of Rachel's lips before she could stop herself. Finn took a step closer to her.

"Yeah. It was really great having you here."

Rachel was still leaning against the counter. She didn't really even think she could more for fear of her knees giving out. She could smell Finn's clean, strong scent and feel the warmth from his body.

"I really enjoyed spending time with you," Rachel said, unaware that her voice had dropped to a whisper. Something was building between them, and it wasn't going to be long before it was going to erupt.

Finn's arms fell from across his chest and he moved forward again. Now he was standing directly in front of Rachel. His arms came up and he put them on either side of Rachel against the counter.

Rachel was positive that her heart was going to beat right out of her chest, it was thudding so hard.

"I'm glad," Finn breathed. His lips were barely an inch from hers now, and Rachel couldn't take it anymore. She closed the remaining distance between them and pressed her lips to Finn's.

One of his large hands came up to cup her cheek as his lips moved gently against hers. Rachel strained up onto her tiptoes, doing her best to get closer to Finn.

When Finn pulled away, his hand remained against her cheek, his calloused fingers stroking against her skin. For once, his amber eyes weren't shadowed with pain and sadness. A full smile bloomed on his lips and he bent to kiss Rachel again.

Rachel was so glad that Finn had decided to start going to the coffee shop she worked at.

* * *

**So I hadn't exactly planned on this being more than one part, but I decided that I wanted to explore this story a little bit more. I can't imagine this having more than two or three parts. Thanks for reading!**


	2. just lay entwined here

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All chapter titles also come from the song "Hands Down" by Dashboard Confessional.**

* * *

**twelve.**

Rachel was pleasantly surprised to see Finn pop into the coffee shop the following Tuesday after the family dinner. And she was thrilled when he reached for her hand over the counter, wrapping his long fingers around her palm. His lips tilted up in an adorable half smile, and Rachel couldn't resist turning her lips towards his. Finn leaned over the counter and pressed his lips to hers in a sweet kiss, and Rachel was almost positive that she was going to melt into a puddle right then and there.

"Do you think you might be able to get out of here early today?" Finn asked when they broke apart.

Rachel's brow furrowed in thought. "I should be able to manage it," she said. "Why do you ask?"

Finn rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, suddenly looking sheepish. "It's kind of a family and friends day at our group meeting tonight," he revealed. "We've all been back for about a year, so they thought this would be a good way to celebrate. I'd like you to come... you know, if you want to."

Rachel beamed at him, and Finn got that surprised look on his face that he always seemed to have whenever she smiled brightly. It was like he had forgotten that people could smile like that, and Rachel hoped that one day she could make him see that he deserved smiles like that.

"I'll smell like coffee," Rachel pointed out playfully. While she loved working the little cafe, she almost always smelled overwhelmingly coffee when she was finished with her shift. She would be the first one to admit that she loved the java, but she didn't want to smell like she had bathed in it.

Finn chuckled. "Well, I think almost everyone likes the smell of coffee, so I think you'll make a lot of friends."

"Well how can I say no then?" Rachel teased. When Finn's smile widened, she flipped her hand over under his and laced their fingers together. "I'd love to go."

Finn looked surprised—but pleasantly so—by Rachel's acceptance of his invitation. He looked so happy that Rachel couldn't resist bringing him down to her level for another kiss.

"You're so tall," she grumbled when she pulled away. "You must have been born with giant genes, or something."

He chuckled and swept his eyes over her. "It's not my fault that you're so short."

"I'm petite," Rachel corrected indignantly.

"You're also cute," Finn added.

Rachel giggled at that, and she was glad that Finn was becoming bolder. His lips ticked up in a smile, and she squeezed his hand again and pressed a sweet kiss to his cheek (after enduring some more teasing about how she was so short).

Once Rachel cleared it with her boss, she headed into the back to change her clothes. Finn might have thought that she looked good in black slacks and a black polo shirt, but Rachel tried to avoid wearing her work uniform as often as possible. So she quickly changed into a black skirt and purple sweater (and made sure that she put on an ample amount of deodorant, as well). In order to hide her hat hair, Rachel pulled her hair into a neat ponytail.

Finn's eyes swept over her once again, and Rachel flushed under his gaze. She shifted from side to side a little bit, but Finn just continued to watch her until she finally said, "What?"

His lips curled into an adorable half smile. "I like the way you dress," he stated simply.

Rachel blinked in surprise, but recovered quickly. "You should have seen the way I dressed in high school, then," she told him. "Lots of sweaters with animals on the front. Knee-high socks. Penny loafers. Your brother would have hated it. Santana and Tina definitely did."

Finn shook his head in amusement at the mention of his brother. It wasn't like Kurt ever had the most reasonable fashion choices, either. "I think you would have looked cute in an animal sweater."

"Don't tell my father that," Rachel said with a delicate snort, though her cheeks did turn pink. "He'll probably dig up some pictures. I'm almost positive that he has a few of my sweaters saved, even. He said I can use them for when I have my own daughter."

Rachel clamped her mouth shut tightly after that statement slipped out. Why in the world was she talking about potential future children with Finn? Sure, they had shared a few kisses, but they hadn't even gone on a real date yet! Rachel was beyond embarrassed that she would even say something like that out loud, let alone to Finn's face.

But Finn just reached for Rachel's hand and smiled.

* * *

**thirteen.**

"Huddy! Is this the girl?"

The question was asked as soon as Finn and Rachel walked through the door. Finn rolled his eyes, but he also looked pretty amused. The question had come from a man with hair shaved very close to his head. Rachel laughed when she saw the blonde woman next to him hit him lightly on the chest. The image was made all the more funny because she was cradling a blonde baby of about a year old in her arms.

"Puck," Finn stated in a mild voice. Before the man—Puck—could respond, Finn turned to Rachel and said, "Rach, this is Noah Puckerman and his wife, Quinn Puckerman. And that little one there is their daughter, Beth. Puck, Quinn, this is my… this is my Rachel."

Quinn and Puck both wore matching smirks at the way Finn stumbled over what to call Rachel, but she thought it was really very sweet. The look on her face was one of complete adoration, and her smile was bright and utterly happy. What Finn and Rachel didn't know was that to everyone else in the room, it was like they were meant to be together.

Rachel shook Puck and Quinn's hands and waved at the little baby. "I had a feeling your name wasn't Puck," Rachel said, much to the amusement of Finn and Quinn.

In response, Puck said, "Finn's been talking about you ever since he met you."

"Noah Puckerman!" Quinn exclaimed. "That is not the way you treat your best friend."

Puck just smirked and swept Quinn up in his arms with that baby pressed between them. Little Beth giggled and clapped her hands together as her parents shared a kiss. Quinn shook her head when they broke apart, but she was smiling.

"Just ignore Puck," Quinn advised. "He's luck he's so charming, otherwise he would have driven me insane."

"You love me," Puck retorted.

Finn chuckled and said, "I served with Puck and they assigned us to the same group when we got back."

Puck clapped Finn on the shoulder. "Huddy saved my ass out in the field more than once. You've got a great guy here, Rachel Berry."

Finn's cheeks turned red at Puck's sincere praise, but Rachel squeezed his hand. "I know," she said, looking up at him with shining eyes. She had already viewed Finn as a hero, but it seemed as though everyone else did, as well.

* * *

**fourteen.**

Rachel met Mike Chang, Matt Rutherford, and Ryder Lynn. They had served at different times and in different places than Finn, but they all looked up to him as well. They were all familiar with Rachel, and she was touched that he had been telling stories about her. Finn felt comfortable enough to talk about their budding relationship in his therapy group, and that made Rachel surprisingly happy.

Carole, Burt, Kurt, and Blaine arrived at the meeting as well. Sue called the session to order with a few introductions. The family and friends day for the therapy group basically gave the attendees a chance to talk about the progress they made and what they were going to do with their lives now that they were out of the service.

Mike and Matt both briefly talked about their time overseas. Mike was teaching lessons at a local dance studio, and Matt was getting more involved on the management side of a restaurant his family owned. Ryder, who seemed to be the youngest out of all the young men in the group, stated that he was going to go back to college and was even considering going on to medical school.

Puck was next, and he talked about how he had found out Quinn was pregnant right before he left for his last tour in Iraq. So he married her and then left soon after that, therefore missing most of Quinn's pregnancy. He had returned home just in time to witness the birth of his daughter. Since then, Puck had found work at a construction company and Quinn was student teaching at a local high school.

Then it was Finn's turn. When he stepped up to the front of the room, Rachel was glad to see that he carried a quiet air of confidence about him and seemed very comfortable in front of the room full of people. He caught her eye before he began speaking, and his lips tilted up in a small smile.

He glossed over his time in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was mostly because he didn't care to talk about it, but it was also for the benefit of his mother.

"I tried to take online classes as much as I could," Finn revealed. "And about three months ago, I graduated with a degree in music therapy. I've been interning at the hospital since then, and they just offered me a job two days ago."

Carole, unable to hold back, jumped up and started clapping exuberantly. Kurt pretended to be embarrassed, especially when his father gave Finn a standing ovation as well. But he and Blaine were clapping along with Carole and Burt.

Finn wasn't paying very much attention to his family's antics, however. Instead, his gaze was on Rachel, who was beaming brightly at him. She had no idea that he had accomplished so much, but she was immensely proud of him. That kind of career seemed perfect Finn, and Rachel had no doubt that he would excel at it.

After that, the group members, family, and friends were invited to mingle and have some of the snacks provided. When Finn rejoined his family, he held his hand out towards Rachel. Smiling, Rachel slid her hand into Finn's and stepped closer to him.

Even though Finn was still holding onto Rachel's hand, Carole immediately swept the younger woman up into a hug. She told Rachel that she just had to come over for dinner again sometime soon, because they had all enjoyed it so much. Rachel immediately agreed, of course. Finn's family was sweet, and she felt as if she had really got to know Finn outside of their usual coffee shop setting.

After Rachel had exchanged greetings with the rest of the Hudson-Hummel family, Sue came over to the group.

"Good speech, Hudson," Sue said gruffly. "The newer members could really benefit from hearing about your experiences." Before Finn could thank Sue for her praise, the older woman caught sight of Rachel. "For the love of God, Hudson. Have you even taken this girl on a date yet?"

Finn's cheeks turned red and Kurt busted out laughing. Carole shushed her younger son immediately, but the scolding didn't have much backing since Burt started laughing as well. Rachel squeezed Finn's hand, hopefully relaying to him through the touch that there was no pressure. When Finn smiled down at her, Rachel knew that he understood her.

"Don't worry, Sue," Finn said. His eyes never left Rachel's. "That's the plan."

* * *

**fifteen.**

True to his word, Finn picked up Rachel at her apartment on her next night off. He presented her with a bouquet of pink wildflowers that Rachel squealed over.

"You seem like the kind of girl who likes pink," Finn said with a grin. He leaned forward and pressed a short, sweet kiss to her lips that left Rachel's mouth tingling.

Rachel giggled when he pulled back from her. "Obviously," she said as she gestured to her pink sundress. Santana had tried to talk to her into this horribly tight black body-con skirt and tank top, but Rachel was having none of it.

Of course, Santana and Tina insisted on being in the apartment when Finn came to pick Rachel up. They were sitting in the living room, watching Finn and Rachel's interaction as though they were viewing a movie.

"You should have seen the skirt I tried to talk her into wearing, Hudson!" Santana called from the couch. "You probably would have shit yourself!"

Peering around Rachel, Finn laughed and said, "I'm assuming that you're Santana Lopez."

Rachel stepped aside and allowed Finn to come further into the apartment. He slid his arm around her waist as he passed her, pulling her into his side. Rachel immediately rested a hand against his chest, feeling utterly comfortable and at ease standing beside him.

"The one and only," Santana said. "And this Tina Cohen-Chang. Berry said you had another Chang that Tina could be hooked up with. God knows she needs it, because she hasn't had sex in like six months."

"Santana!" Rachel and Tina exclaimed at the same time. Poor Tina's cheeks turned bright pink and she threw a pillow at Santana. Laughing, the Latina dodged the pillow and then the handful of popcorn that Tina also threw at her. Waggling her eyebrows, Santana popped some of the popcorn that was now on the rug into her mouth while Tina loudly complained that she was being disgusting.

"I swear I didn't say that," Rachel said to Finn. "I simply told Tina that Mike was her type and that she might like to meet him one day."

Finn was laughing, which Rachel took as a good sign. Not everyone was able to handle her crazy roommates (AKA the people she called her best friends). Finn was taking their banter in stride, and Rachel could see Tina and Santana giving her approving looks.

But then Santana said, "Don't feel bad, Tina. At least you haven't gone without sex for as long as Rachel has. But no pressure or anything, Hudson."

"We're leaving!" Rachel yelled. She shoved the pretty bouquet of flowers at Tina so she could put them in a vase and then proceeded to two Finn out of the apartment. Her so-called friends' laughter followed them out of the apartment and down the hall, and it took at least that long for Rachel to stop feeling embarrassed.

"I'm sorry about that," Rachel said as she and Finn made their way down the stairs. "Santana doesn't really have a filter."

Finn chuckled, not at all bothered by the comments he had heard upstairs. "You've met Kurt. He doesn't have a filter either, just in a different way from Santana. But Puck and Santana are a lot alike… That's kind of weird, actually."

Rachel laughed at the face Finn was making when he came to that realization. She was finished talking about their friends, though. She wanted to enjoy her very first date with Finn, and she wasn't about to let anything distract her.

Steering the conversation in a different direction, she asked, "So what's the plan for tonight?"

"You'll see." Finn grinned when he saw the pout Rachel was giving him. She wrapped both of her arms around one of Finn's and gave him a pleading look. She kind of hoped the big, wide innocent eyes would work on him.

Finn wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his side as they walked. "That's not fair, Rach," he said. He pressed a kiss to her temple and smirked at the look of triumph on Rachel's face. She was sadly mistaken if she thought she was getting her way. "But I'm still not going to tell you."

He burst out laughing when Rachel actually stomped her foot and whined. "_Finn!_"

* * *

**sixteen.**

Finn had found some cute little Greek restaurant that Rachel had absolutely no idea about—which was odd, because Rachel adored Greek food. It was one of the best meals Rachel had had in a long time. She had this amazing falafel, and Finn had a gyro that Rachel picked at even though she claimed that she didn't often eat meat. After dessert and some coffee, they took a quick walk through Central Park and ended up back at Rachel's apartment.

Of course, Santana and Tina had vacated the place. Rachel had even found a very crude and inappropriate note from Santana (which included an equally inappropriate picture) stating that they would be gone until late the following morning. Rachel was pretty positive that she managed to get the note down before Finn saw it.

They started out watching a movie, but it was pretty clear that neither of them were interested in it. Finn and Rachel were curled together on the couch, with Rachel practically in Finn's lap. So that made it very, very easy for Rachel to reach up and pull Finn's mouth down to hers.

The movie was completely forgotten after that. Finn's mouth was intoxicating against hers. Rachel couldn't remember the last time she felt this amazing. And the best part was, she felt as if she was met to be in Finn's arms—as if she had found her home. She wanted to feel more of Finn against her, and it was as though Finn had read her mind. He somehow flipped them so that Rachel was laid out flat underneath him on the couch.

Finn's lips were against her neck as soon as she pulled his shirt over his head. His chest was broad and muscular without being overly so, and Rachel ran her tiny hands over. That made Finn kiss her more instantly, his lips pressing hot and open-mouthed against the soft skin of her neck and collarbone. Rachel moaned and arched up against Finn, allowing him to slip his hands under her shirt.

Finn's strong, calloused fingers stroked against her skin, making Rachel whisper his name. Their kisses slowed then, with Finn pressing several lingering, tender kisses against her lips. His hands remained under her shirt, however, and Rachel couldn't stop herself from touching the bare skin that had been revealed once Finn's shirt had been stripped off.

Finn pulled away just enough so that there was barely a breath between them. "I should go," he murmured. Hot breath fanned across Rachel's face, and she slid her fingers through his thick hair so she could kiss him again.

"Maybe," Rachel whispered against his lips. Her hips rolled against his, and Finn groaned.

"Seriously," he said. But he didn't make any movements to actually leave, so Rachel wasn't complaining. "I should probably…" He muttered a curse when Rachel nipped at his jaw. "You know."

Rachel smiled against his jaw and then kissed over to his lips once again. "But do you really have to go?"

It took Finn a long moment to respond. That might have been because Rachel's tongue was in his mouth, but it wasn't like he was going to protest that. "I should," he said. He pressed up on his hands so that he was hovering above her. "I like you, Rach—really like you. I want to do this right."

"I promise you that you are doing this right," Rachel said. She tugged Finn back towards for one last, gentle kiss. When their lips broke apart, she sighed. "I understand, though." She handed him his shirt, and Finn pulled it back on with a wry grin.

"I'll see you tomorrow, though," he teased. "We have our standing coffee date, right?"

Rachel brightened at that. Tomorrow was Thursday, so she would get to see Finn. "That's right!" She wrapped her arms around Finn's neck and kissed his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, Finn."

Together, they walked towards the door. Finn kissed Rachel one more time and then left with a parting smile. Once the door was closed behind her, Rachel leaned against it and blew out a happy sigh.

She didn't know what Finn Hudson was doing to her, but she really liked it.

* * *

**seventeen.**

The following week, Rachel and Finn had ordered in and were watching another movie. It was only five minutes into the movie that Rachel completely fell asleep, sprawled across Finn's lap. It was the deep kind of sleep that only came from true exhaustion after a long day at work. Rachel was dead to the world, and not even Finn shifting on the couch so he could lie out next to her woke her up.

Rachel did wake up when she was knocked to the ground, however.

Disoriented, Rachel tried to shake the sleep off and sat up. Finn apparently had fallen asleep as well and was now jerking in his slumber. It appeared that he was having some sort of nightmare. From the looks of it, it was pretty intense. A light sheen of sweat covered his skin, and the look on his face was one of what could only be true pain.

"Finn?" Rachel asked cautiously. She doubted that her quiet query would wake him up, but she wasn't sure what to do. When that did nothing to make him stir, Rachel called in a louder voice, "Finn!" She reached out to shake his shoulder as well, hoping the movement would do something at least.

As soon as Rachel's fingers brushed his shoulder, the fingers of Finn's own hand shot up and wrapped around her wrist in an iron-tight grip. He pulled, yanking Rachel on top of him, causing her to shriek in surprise.

The added weight of Rachel on top of him caused Finn to jerk awake. It only took him a moment to realize what was happening, and before Rachel could recover, Finn was out from underneath her and on the other side of the room.

"I'm sorry," he was repeating over and over again. Rachel's mind was foggy with sleep, so it took her a moment to register what Finn was saying. "I'm so, so sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Finn." Rachel sat up and extended one hand towards Finn, approaching him slowly from across the room. Finn tried to move away from her, but he had backed himself into a corner. There was nowhere to go, and Rachel pressed a hand flat against his chest.

"I'm sorry, Rachel," Finn whispered. He was looking at the ground, and his breathing was erratic and panicked. After another beat of silence, he sucked in a long breath and closed his eyes, trying to force himself to calm down.

Rachel reached up with her other hand and pressed it against Finn's cheek. She turned his face towards hers, and for once their height difference worked to her advantage. She was standing in such a way that Finn now had to look directly into her eyes, and she wouldn't let him turn away.

"Finn, it's okay," Rachel murmured. Her fingers stroked against his cheek, and she noted that his breathing was much more even now. She could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest under her palm, but she knew that Finn wasn't feeling better.

Finn shook his head slowly, his eyes filled with pain. "I could have hurt you."

"But you didn't."

"I could have."

Rachel slid her arms around Finn's waist and pressed herself to his chest. "But you didn't," she repeated. "I startled you, and _I'm_ sorry for that."

Rachel didn't know a whole lot about post-traumatic stress disorder, but she assumed that Finn had some form of it. The reason that he didn't want to push too hard with their physical relationship suddenly made much more sense. Finn had been afraid of what would happen once they fell asleep and he had a nightmare. Rachel wanted nothing more than to help him conquer that fear.

Finn stayed silent, but he brought his arms up to wrap around Rachel. She took that as progress. "Why don't you come to bed with me, Finn?"

Finn stiffened a little. "Rach…"

Rachel also considered the use of his nickname for her a good thing. She pulled back just enough so that she could stand on her tiptoes and slide her hands up his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tugged his head the rest of the way down towards her. Without giving him time to protest, Rachel pressed her lips to his in a deep, powerful kiss.

Finn hauled her against him, responding with just as much passion as Rachel. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, cradling his hips against hers.

"Take me to bed," Rachel whispered against Finn's lips.

Finn kissed her again and began to move towards the bedroom with Rachel still securely wrapped in his arms.

* * *

**eighteen.**

"Wake up."

Rachel stretched against the warm body underneath hers. Even with her sleep-addled mind, Rachel could feel a shiver run down her spine at Finn's warm breath near her ear.

Cracking an eye open, she saw a shirtless Finn lying next to her. She could feel his bare legs against hers as well, and knew that he was clad only in a pair of boxer briefs. And Rachel could feel all of that glorious bare skin against hers because she was wearing only her undergarments, as well.

Oh yeah. She could definitely get used to this.

Rachel opened her eyes fully and saw that Finn was watching her with hungry eyes and a slow, delicious smile. She could feel her whole body heat up at the thought of what they did last night. There had been plenty of deep, passionate kisses, and Rachel had spent most of that time straddling Finn's lap. Once they had stripped down to their underwear, their bodies had ground together in a way that had both of them craving for release. Rachel came against Finn's fingers last night, and they had gone to bed not long after that.

"Hmm," Rachel sighed in happiness and snuggled closer to Finn's warm, strong body. "You're looking a little better than you had last night."

Finn's eyes softened in tenderness. "You had a lot to do with that," he told her. His hand slid along her bare back, and his thumb slipped under the waistband of her underwear, causing Rachel to gasp.

Rachel smiled and stretched again. The closeness of their bodies allowed Rachel to feel Finn's arousal tucked firmly against her, and her cheeks turned bright red. The memory of Finn's hands on her body the previous night was causing Rachel to get quite wound up.

Finn pressed his lips to her ear. "What are you thinking about?"

"Last night," Rachel admitted. She rolled her hips against his, and Finn's hand slid further down until he cupped her bare bottom.

Finn's mouth covered hers then, and he easily tugged her panties off and flung them behind him. Rachel's hands ran up and down his chest, feeling the muscles move and clench under her fingers before she tugged his boxer briefs down. Finn kicked them the rest of the way off and then Rachel suddenly flipped them over so that she was straddling Finn's body.

She ground down against him as Finn's hips thrust up, rubbing against the wetness between her thighs. Rachel moaned and threw her head back just as Finn unhooked her bra and tossed it over the side of the bed.

Finn smoothed one hand up her abdomen and then cupped her breast. His fingers plucked at her hardened nipple, and Rachel tightened her legs around his waist. "Oh, _Finn!_" she gasped. Finn kissed from her lips, along her jaw, and down her neck until he reached her breast. He took her other nipple in his mouth, causing Rachel to moan loudly. She threaded her fingers in Finn's hair and pressed him closer to her body.

Once Finn had paid equal attention to her other breast, Finn flipped them back over so that they were both lying on their sides, facing each other. Their legs tangled together, and one of Rachel's legs hooked over Finn's thigh. He slid inside her, causing both of them to cry out loudly.

With their bodies pressed tightly together, they both began to move in tight motions that were quickly bringing them to the edge. Finn and Rachel wanted it to last longer, but they had been waiting for this moment for too long. Later they would make slow, unhurried love.

It occurred to them both at the same time that that's what it was. As Finn and Rachel's lips parted from another passionate, all-consuming kiss, their eyes locked and it was clear that they both had deep emotions for one another.

Rachel was chanting his name, pressing harder to him as she got closer and closer to the edge. Finn's hips thrust erratically against hers, and she came with a suddenness that surprised her. Finn groaned Rachel's name and came right after her.

They lay tangled like that together for several long moments. Then Finn pressed a series of tender kisses against her shoulder, and Rachel let out a blissful noise and closed her eyes.

* * *

**nineteen.**

"We still need to talk, you know."

Finn flipped a pancake and then nodded his head. There was no resignation in his voice as he spoke. "I know," he said. Unlike the night before, his face was more open and less shadowed. He even gave her a small smile, and Rachel knew in that moment that everything would be okay even if Finn had a long road of healing ahead of him.

Rachel watched Finn move around her kitchen with an ease that was comfortable and familiar. It made her smile. "You don't have to tell me anything you're not ready to," she assured him.

"I know," Finn said. He slid the pancakes onto the two plates that had already been set up—bacon for him, fruit for her. "And I want to tell you. It's just… hard, sometimes. The nightmares aren't as bad as they used to be, but…" He shrugged his shoulders. "They say it gets easier the more time passes."

Rachel accepted the plate from Finn with a smile and then kissed his cheek once he sat down. He seemed a little surprised by the gesture, but then he grinned at her.

"You've been studying music therapy," Rachel said. "Have you ever considered using music as a way to relieve some of your stress?"

Finn covered his pancakes in syrup (causing Rachel to giggle), and then pushed them around on his plate for a moment. Finally, he said, "I used to play drums. With my courses in school, I focused more on the guitar than I did with anything involving percussion. Maybe I should play the drums, though."

Rachel speared a strawberry with her fork and popped it in her mouth. She gave him a full, bright smile. "Maybe I could sit in on one of your practices sessions?"

"I'd like that," Finn said. He extended his free hand across the table, and Rachel slid hers into his.

* * *

**twenty.**

"They're so cute they make me want to throw up."

"Seriously. I'm going to get cavities or something."

"At least we agree on something."

"Yeah, at least."

Even though Santana and Kurt were making fun of Finn and Rachel, there was no real annoyance in their words. While it was true that Finn and Rachel could get quiet sappy with one another, they were both glad to see that the couple was happy. They had been dating for almost three months, and it was easy to see how much of an impact Finn and Rachel had had on each other's lives.

Currently, they were babysitting Beth for Quinn and Puck. They were at Finn's apartment, because they had decided to cook dinner for their friends as well. Now Finn and Rachel were sitting on the living room floor with the baby. Finn was playing peek-a-boo with Beth while Rachel watched with a tender smile.

Not only had Finn and Rachel made each other happy, they had combined their friends into one group and encouraged them to hang out. As a result, Tina and Mike had gone a few tentative dates and seemed to be getting along very well.

Rachel suddenly shot to her feet with one hand clapped over her mouth as she ran from the room. After quickly asking Kurt to watch over Beth, he climbed to his feet and quickly followed Rachel to her destination—the bathroom.

Kurt lifted Beth into his arms and held her at arms-length. The baby stared at him with a look that clearly questioned his sanity, and Kurt made a face back at her.

Santana made a scoffing noise. "Hummel, you can't hold a baby like that. You're supposed to cradle her."

Kurt thrust Beth towards her. "Well, if you think that you'd be so good at it, why don't you hold her?"

Smirking, Santana held her hands up. "I'd rather watch you try to figure this out."

Grumbling under his breath, Kurt adjusted Beth so that she was cradled against his chest. Tina was now standing at the entranceway of the living room, watching to see when Finn and Rachel would return from the bathroom.

"Do you think Rachel is okay?" Tina asked. "She hasn't been feeling well all week."

Santana shrugged her shoulders and checked her reflection in the stainless steel surface of the fridge. "It's probably all that tofu she's been eating. I told Berry that all that shit would go right through her."

"Santana!" Kurt exclaimed. "There's a baby here! You can't curse in front of her!"

"Please." Santana waved a dismissive hand. "Puckerman is her father. You think she hasn't heard cursing before?"

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Rachel was rinsing her mouth out with mouthwash. Finn was still rubbing a comforting hand over her back, which Rachel happened to appreciate very much. She hated throwing up.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Finn asked.

Rachel nodded her head and wiped her mouth with one of the hand towels. "I'm fine, Finn. I promise. I haven't been feeling well for the past couple of days. A lot of the people in my classes have been coming down with a stomach virus. That's probably all this is."

Finn wrapped his arm around Rachel's shoulder. With his free hand, he felt her forehead. "You do seem a little warm. Why don't we leave Beth with Tina and Mike and get you home. I can even make chicken noodle soup."

Rachel snuggled into Finn's side. "That sounds perfect."

Once they were home, however, Rachel noticed something very important. She was in the bathroom with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, now in a pair of comfortable pajamas. She had her head in the cabinet under the sink, as she was looking for some face wash. When she came across a box of tampons, she froze.

Rachel's fingers wrapped around the little blue box, and she pulled it out of the cabinet and sat back on her heels. Rachel stared at it as she ran through the calculations in her head. Coming to a startling realization, she let the box fall from her now limp fingers.

Rachel had to make a doctor's appointment.

* * *

**twenty-one. **

After four positive home pregnancy tests and one visit to her doctor, Rachel had her suspicions confirmed: she was pregnant.

So far, she had alternated between freaking out and being extremely excited. She had a panic attack an hour ago because she had only been dating Finn for three months, so what would he say? What would happen? Rachel was pretty positive that she was in love with Finn, but he had so much to focus on at the moment. He had just started his new job and he was still recovering from his time in the military. It was going to be an ongoing process, and it was one that Rachel had planned on supporting him through one hundred percent. She couldn't imagine what the added pressure of a baby would do to his life.

And then she was happy, because this was a _baby_. A new life, a little piece of her and Finn that she would love forever. As soon as Rachel received the confirmation, she had fallen in love with the life growing inside of her.

Yet another spaz attack followed that. Rachel was two months from graduating. She had a whole future she needed to figure out. Of course, she wanted to be on Broadway. Rachel was confident in her abilities, and she had no doubt that she would make it big one day. However, it wasn't as if she could start auditioning while she was pregnant. She wanted to stay home with her baby for at least a year—maybe even two. There was no way that Rachel was going to miss her child growing up. Broadway would be there forever. In the meantime, she had to figure out another career option.

The excitement came once again after that. Rachel loved Finn, and she was certain that Finn would care for and love this baby just as much as she would. That's just the kind of guy Finn was. And maybe—just maybe—they could figure this whole thing out and be a family.

So Rachel sat in front of the four positive pregnancy tests once she had returned from the doctor's office. This was real. This was happening. The first thing Rachel needed to do was tell Finn.

The door to the apartment slammed open, and the arguing voices of Tina and Santana reached her. Well, it looked as if her best friends were going to find out first. There was no way that Rachel would be able to successfully hide these pregnancy tests without looking guilty.

"Berry, can you please tell Cohen-Chang that—" Santana came to an abrupt stop when she saw Rachel sitting in the living room. Tina banged into her, but that was only because she was too busy staring at the pregnancy tests.

"What the fuck is this?" Santana demanded.

Rachel held her hands out and gave her best friends a small, nervous smile. "I'm pregnant."

Tina and Santana stared at Rachel for several long moments. Finally, Tina asked, "Have you told Finn yet?"

"Not yet."

"You should probably do that."

Rachel had to bite back a laugh at the dumbstruck look on Tina's face. "That was my next course of action."

Santana stared at all the little positive signs and then glanced back towards Rachel. She was sitting on the couch with one hand settled over her stomach. There was an air of contentment around her, and she was actually glowing.

"So we're… happy about this?" Santana inquired.

Rachel thought carefully about her response. She had some time to process the news, and she was happy. Of course, this certainly wasn't the way she had imagined her life going, but this was just another adventure… and it was one that Rachel was eager for.

"I am happy," she said honestly. "Really, really happy."

Santana and Tina pounced on Rachel, shrieking in excitement hugging her before they started jumping on the couch. Rachel took this brief moment to celebrate with her best friends. No matter what happened, she knew that she could rely on them no matter what.

Now she just had to tell Finn.

* * *

**twenty-two.**

"You look nervous."

"Really? How could you tell?"

Finn chuckled as he watched his girlfriend move from one end of the living room to the other. "The pacing might have given it away."

Rachel still didn't stop, and she turned on her heel to make her way to the other side of the room. She was gnawing on her thumbnail, and had one arm across her abdomen. Even though there wasn't any sign of a baby bump yet, she knew that her baby was growing inside her. In a few weeks, everyone would be able to see what was going on.

"I just… I have something to tell you," Rachel admitted. She didn't pause in her pacing, and Finn gave her an amused smile as he waited for Rachel to reveal what was on her mind. When she didn't stop moving, Finn stood up and caught her in his arms.

"Hey." He reached for her hands and squeezed them comfortingly before he lifted them and pressed her fingers to his lips. "It's going to be okay. Whatever you're freaking out about, we'll figure it out, okay?"

Rachel stared up at her boyfriend with wide eyes. "I'm pregnant," she whispered.

Finn's mouth dropped open, and he gaped at her. He didn't pull away, and he didn't drop her hands. He stared down at her and then his eyes drifted towards her stomach. Rachel didn't want to say anything to startle him, but she also wanted to know what he was thinking.

Then one of Finn's hands slowly slid down to her still-flat abdomen. He cradled her tummy in his large hand, his amber eyes now filled with wonder. Rachel could have sworn that she heard her heart thudding in her ears, she was so anxious.

Rachel let out a squeak of surprise when Finn suddenly swept her up into his arms. He pressed his face to her neck, holding her tightly against him. It took Rachel a moment to realize that he was actually hugging her before she returned the embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Oh, Rachel," Finn murmured against her skin. He pressed a tender kiss under her jaw and then pulled back just enough to see her face. "This is… this is amazing."

Rachel was embarrassed to feel tears burning in her eyes. At least she could contribute that to her now raging hormones. "You're not scared?" she asked.

Finn laughed and kissed her. "Of course I'm scared," he admitted. "I'm terrified. But I also know that we can do this."

Those words made Rachel feel like she could fly. "Do you mean it, Finn?"

He grinned down at her, and Rachel was positive that no matter what happened in the upcoming months, everything would turn out alright. "Of course I do. We'll figure it out together."

* * *

**I'm sorry if this seemed kind of rushed. I was just tired of sitting on this chapter, and I really wanted to get it out. Thanks! :)**


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